The Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD), through the Ghana Productive Safety Net Project 2 (GPSNP2), has organized a comprehensive training workshop for Regional and District Information Officers of the Information Services Department (ISD). Held from October 3–4, 2024, at the Anita Hotel in Ejisu, the event aimed to strengthen the officers’ understanding of the project’s components and objectives, thereby enhancing communication strategies for engaging beneficiaries and the wider public.

Mr. Desmond Duametu, Assistant National Coordinator of GPSNP2, underscored the importance of this renewed collaboration between the GPSNP2 team and ISD. He expressed optimism about the potential of a unified approach to amplify project outcomes and contribute significantly to national development. Highlighting the role of ISD in project implementation, he noted that effective communication is pivotal in achieving the project’s goals of empowering poor households through sustainable productivity.

Dr. Winifred Nafisa Mahama, Director of the Information Services Department, addressed the participants, emphasizing the importance of their role in disseminating accurate and impactful messages to the public. She urged the officers to leverage the training to ensure GPSNP2’s objectives are well understood and embraced by rural communities, ultimately fostering national development.

The two-day workshop featured a series of presentations and interactive sessions designed to provide a thorough understanding of GPSNP2’s key components, including Productive Inclusion (PI), Labour Intensive Public Works (LIPW), and Environmental and Social Safeguards. Participants were also introduced to strategies for effective communication and grievance redress mechanisms.

The training concluded with the development of tailored key messages for ISD officers to use in their outreach efforts. These messages will serve as a bridge to connect the project to its beneficiaries, ensuring that GPSNP2’s initiatives resonate with the targeted communities.

The GPSNP2 team remains committed to leveraging collaborations such as this to maximize the impact of their initiatives, reinforcing the shared vision of national growth and sustainable rural development.

SOURCE: Darling Maame Efua Cann

(Public Relations Unit MLGDRD)

As part of efforts to enhance evidence-based decision-making and  promote inclusive, sustainable development across Ghana through the digital data management platform; District Development Data Platform (DDDP), which was developed in 2019 by the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD) in collaboration with the German Corporation for International Cooperation (giz), the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) and the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), a 15-member Steering Committee (SC) has been inaugurated to spearhead the management and operations of the DDDP.

The role of the SC is to provide strategic oversight, policy direction and guidance, as well as support for the seamless implementation and scaling of the DDDP platform among user institutions at the national and sub-national levels.

The inaugural ceremony which was held on Tuesday, November 19, in Accra marks a pivotal moment in the operationalisation and sustainability of the DDDP and it was intended to scale up the potential of the DDDP to revolutionize how Metropolitan, Municipal,and District Assemblies (MMDAs) plan, implement,and monitor development interventions.

The DDDP is a web-based planning, monitoring and evaluation and reporting platform designed to providing real-time,reliable data for decision-making at all levels of local government structure. It is designed to improve on database management, data-driven decision making and reporting at district level and sub-district level as well as track district performance to service delivery.

Among other things, the DDDP is to help strengthen data collection and analysis capacities across all MMDAs, ensure inclusivity by capturing data across departments of the MMDAs in ways which reflects the activities and needs of the MMDAs as well as foster transparency and accountability in resource allocation and project implementation in all MMDAs.

Present at the meeting which was chaied by Mr. Divine Ayidzoe, Director, Research, Statistics and Information Managemnet (RSIM) at the MLGDRD, were representatives from the MLGDRD, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, giz, the Data Protection Agency, Ghana Statistical service (GSS) Local Government Service, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs),  Ghana Federation of Disability organizations (GFD), among other stakeholders.

SOURCE: Sandra Owusu Asamoah

(Public Relations Unit MLGDRD)

The Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation, and Rural Development (MLGDRD) organised an orientation session on December 2, 2024, for its 2024/2025 National Service Personnel to familiarise the personnel with the Ministry’s functions, mission, vision, its institutions, agencies and staff.

Delivering the opening remarks, the Chief Director of the Ministry, Mr. Amin Abdul-Rahaman, encouraged the service personnel to remain focused, resilient, disciplined, and productive throughout their time at the Ministry.

He also advised them to dress appropriately and maximise the opportunity to network with staff and colleagues.

Madam Priscilla Attipoe, Deputy Director in charge of the General Administration Directorate, briefed the personnel on the overview of the Ministry’s mission, vision, Allied Agencies, and Departments under the Ministry as well as the various, Units, and Directorates in the Ministry and the code of conducts and ethics of the Civil Service.

The session served as a platform to prepare the personnel for a productive service year while fostering a deeper understanding of the Ministry’s operations.

Source: Melody Hini-Amoako
MLGDRD Public Relations Unit